When retirement comes opportunity to do many different kinds of things and take time to do things that weren't possible in a busy, "full" life. I am currently in the midst of one of those opportunities visiting places that were special and important to me.
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| Looking SW towards the river |
El Paso, Texas, was my hometown and I just spent about a day and half in the area for the first time in about 10 years. I didn't come with much of an agenda...more of a let-the chips-fall-where-they-may idea. I did want to take in the views from several vantage points and there was one cemetery I wanted to visit. Yes, that is weird I know, but I have always found them fascinating places full of interesting facts and stories. This spot was of a personal nature because, just recently, online I had uncovered my great-grandparents resting spot, one of many missing facts (to me) in the life of a somewhat mysterious couple as far as family history was concerned.
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| I-10 looking west to Franklin Mts. |
I limited my visit to the east side of El Paso this go-around because I hadn't spent any time there in probably 25 years! My parents moved to the west side in the 1980s and my visits were centered from there. The Franklin Mts., the Rio Grande River, and Ft. Bliss (plus other military entities) make for an interestingly laid-out city!
The cemetery was not difficult to find...it just never had been one that I went by often. In getting there I knew the street and general area. Of course I verified my thoughts by looking at the online map...what any good librarian would do! And with online maps and reality, the two are hardly ever in sync! Major road construction that sent me around and about to parts of EP that I had not driven thru over 40 years! A pleasant secondary discovery was ending up on the campus of Texas Tech Medical School. I had seen bits and pieces of clinics, etc. around town but never the official facility itself. Although tightly spaced (unlike the university itself) it was a pretty set of buildings that reminded ME both of the Lubbock campus as well as the unique early beginnings of the local UTEP campus.
The cemetery was not difficult to find...it just never had been one that I went by often. In getting there I knew the street and general area. Of course I verified my thoughts by looking at the online map...what any good librarian would do! And with online maps and reality, the two are hardly ever in sync! Major road construction that sent me around and about to parts of EP that I had not driven thru over 40 years! A pleasant secondary discovery was ending up on the campus of Texas Tech Medical School. I had seen bits and pieces of clinics, etc. around town but never the official facility itself. Although tightly spaced (unlike the university itself) it was a pretty set of buildings that reminded ME both of the Lubbock campus as well as the unique early beginnings of the local UTEP campus.
If you are into historical information from the point of view of cemeteries, here is a blog posting about Concordia Cemetery I discovered awhile back while one of my many virtual journeys to random places in search of random information to support the many random thoughts I tend to have...regularly!
A note about the "A"...stands for Austin High School, my alma mater. At one point, all high schools had letters, but as the city grew and the number of schools increased, plus the aspects of safety and preserving the mountain, city leaders decided that letters had to go. So they faded into the sunset...except the "A"...it's on private land!
And, wow, is this post an example of rambling reflection!!
Note: This post was written July 23, 2012. Lack of technology held up the posting.
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| I "lived" under the "A" |
And, wow, is this post an example of rambling reflection!!
Note: This post was written July 23, 2012. Lack of technology held up the posting.
Photos: Personal files of VWB
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